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Opinion: 'Secret Cinema: Star Wars' is a ripoff pantomime

This opinion piece is spoiler free and we will only talk about the production generally so as not to spoil the surprise.

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Amateur dramatics has never been so expensive, but then it has never been done on such a scale. Secret Cinema has become a cross between a tour of a film set and a night at the local village hall watching sketchy amdram. The once wonderful format has lost its way.

The company's latest production, an homage to Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, is its most ambitious to date. It also brings Secret Cinema closer to immersive theatre than ever before -- and it is here that it falters.

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I sat in a damp field watching #SuperBloodMoon

The size of the production is huge. Set over a series of cavernous rooms with a plethora of actors and bit-part players, it does a fine job of recreating a believable and exciting Star Wars universe.

The 'plot' of the night loosely follows the plot of the films (you can fill in your own blanks), with key scenes playing out alongside a larger than ever selection of food and drink stalls. There's also more interaction with the actors than in previous productions and more to explore and discover, giving the sense that Secret Cinema is more than just a quirky way to get dressed up and watch a cult classic.

Compared to Punchdrunk's Sleep No More or The Drowned Man, Secret Cinema feels amateurish. While the set design and ambition of the production is undeniably impressive it lacks the lavishness and complexity of Punchdrunk's productions. The acting is wooden and if looked at too closely some elements of the set look like Blue Peter projects on a grand scale. And everywhere you turn someone is trying to sell you something.

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Gallery: I sat in a damp field watching #SuperBloodMoon

ByJames Temperton

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The aforementioned Punchdrunk, You Me Bum Bum Train, Shunt's recent production The Boy Who Climbed Out Of His Face and Philip Pullman's Grimm Tales for Young and Old at Shoreditch Town Hall can all claim to have done immersive theatre better and for less eye-watering sums. Chuck a screening of Roman Polanski's Macbeth at the end of Punchdrunk's Sleep No More and you've got Secret Cinema done right.

At £78 a ticket (£52 for under 18s accompanied by an adult) this is an expensive night out. Throw in £20 or more spent on a costume, a few drinks and some food and you will soon find yourself shelling out over £120 per person for a few hours of entertainment. At such lofty prices Secret Cinema feels like an elaborate ripoff.

The money-grabbing nature is what grates most. The seemingly constant presence of roaming food and drink sellers makes it feel like you're being 'monetised' from start to finish.

When it started Secret Cinema felt like a small club at which people could enjoy films in a new way. It was clever, fun and intimate. It is now like a trip to Disneyland but with subpar special effects. Yet this is no two-bit operation -- the recent production of Back to the Future grossed over £3.5m, putting it on a par with some medium-sized film releases.

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Many will enjoy Secret Cinema's latest production, but this is a cynical representation both of immersive theatre and of the production company's original ambitions.

Disclosure: this article was written having attended a 'preview' showing of the 2015 Secret Cinema experience. WIRED did not pay to attend. Further full reviews will appear in the wider press at a later date.